By Catharin Shepard • Staff writer • One-stop early voting is now open at two sites in Hoke County for voters to cast a ballot ahead of the Tuesday, November 8 election day.

This year’s election will decide multiple local races including three seats on the Hoke County Board of Education, three seats on the Hoke County Board of Commissioners and the office of Hoke County Sheriff. State and federal representation for Hoke County is also up for vote this year.

Early voting opened Wednesday, October 20 and runs until Saturday, November 5. The hours are Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m.-3 p.m. There is no early voting on Sundays for this election.

Voters can cast a ballot during one-stop early voting at either the Board of Elections office at 227 North Main Street in Raeford; or at the Rockfish Community Building, 2749 Lindsay Road.

A total of 1,979 people turned out to cast a ballot during the first four days of one-stop early voting, according to information from Hoke County Elections Director Chassidy Chavis. That included more than 1,300 at the Board of Elections site and over 600 at the Rockfish Community Building.

Voters can also choose to vote absentee by mail. For more information on voting absentee by mail, visit https://votebymail.ncsbe.gov/app/home. November 1 is the deadline for civilians to submit an absentee ballot request form.

All precincts will be open for voting Tuesday, November 8. Polling places will be open that day from 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

The News-Journal will be providing the live election results at the office at 119 West Elwood Avenue in Raeford the night of the election after polling places close. Citizens are welcome to stop by to see the updates as each precinct delivers its ballots and they are added to the totals. Results will also go up online the night of the election. Check The News-Journal on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/raefordnewsjournal, or at www.hokenews.com for a link after polling places close election night.

For questions or more information, visit https://www.hokecounty.net/235/Elections or call the Hoke County Board of Elections

Races and candidates

Here are some of the races Hoke voters can expect to see on the ballot when going to vote this election, with candidates listed as they appear on the ballot. To see the full sample ballot, visit the Board of Elections website.

Hoke County Sheriff (choose one)

•Stevie Joe, Republican Party

•Roderick C. Virgil, Democratic Party

Hoke County Board of Commissioners (choose three)

•David Frump, Republican Party

•Christopher Holland, Republican Party

•Tony Hunt, Democratic Party (Incumbent)

•Harry Southerland, Democratic Party (Incumbent)

•Allen Thomas Jr., Democratic Party (Incumbent)

•Johnny Boyles, Republican Party

Hoke County Board of Education (choose three, write-in allowed, nonpartisan office)

•Deltarina Carr

•Ruben Castellon

•Tony Cunningham Sr.

•Tonika McGeachy Dunbar

•John F. Harry

•Micheaux Hollingsworth

•Christopher A. Leach

•Della Maynor (Incumbent)

•Angela G. Southerland

•Catherine Blue

Hoke County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor (choose two, write-in allowed, nonpartisan office)

•Neil McKenzie (Incumbent)

•Leonard Baldwin (Incumbent)

Hoke County Clerk of Superior Court

•Evelyn M. McLeod, Democratic Party (Incumbent)

N.C. State Senate District 24 (choose one)

•Darrel (BJ) Gibson Jr., Democratic Party

•Danny Earl Britt Jr., Republican Party (Incumbent)

N.C. House of Representatives District 48 (choose one)

•Garland E. Pierce, Democratic Party (Incumbent)

•Melissa Swarbrick, Republican Party

U.S. House of Representatives District 9 (choose one)

•Ben Clark, Democratic Party

•Richard Hudson, Republican Party (Incumbent)

Race: U.S. Senate (choose one, write-in allowed)

•Matthew Hoh, Green Party

•Cheri Beasley, Democratic Party

•Shannon W. Bray, Libertarian Party

•Ted Budd, Republican Party